Rosenfeld supports Intro 322 - shared appointments
Wayne Rosenfeld, former 10-year member of Staten Island CB3, supports Intro 322, arguing no single elected official should control all community board appointments in a borough. He says shared appointments between borough presidents and council members create balance, accountability, and broader representation.
First, we're going to Wayne Rosenfeld.
Good morning, Chair and members of the committee.
I'm here in support of Intro 0322.
I am a former 10-year member of Community Board 3 on Staten Island.
Professionally, I am the executive
Executive Director of the East Midwood Jewish Center in Brooklyn.
When I first joined community board, appointments were made through cooperation between elected officials.
Recommendations came from different voices, different perspectives, and different parts of the community.
The result was a board that was better reflected for people it served.
Today, community board members are ultimately appointed by a single borough president.
While the borough presidents play an important role, no elected official should have the exclusive control over the composition of every community board in an entire borough.
Community boards work best when they reflect the full range of voices within a community.
No single elected official, regardless of party or philosophy, should be able to shape the membership of an entire community board on their own.
Community boards are intended to represent neighborhoods, not the agenda of any one officeholder.
A shared appointment process promotes independence, diversity of thought, and better outcomes for the communities these boards serve.
Council members are elected directly by the communities they represent and often have the closest connection to the neighborhood concerns and local stakeholders.
Given council members the authority to appoint half of the members creates balance, accountability, and broader representation.
New York City has 59 community districts.
Manhattan is 12, Brooklyn is 18, Queens is 14, the Bronx is 12, and Staten Island only three.
Each community has its own character, priorities, and challenges.
It is unreasonable to expect five borough presidents
alone to determine the membership of all 59 boards.
This bill does not eliminate the borough president's role.
It simply creates a shared appointment process, ensuring that more voices are involved and the community boards better reflect the communities they serve.
For those reasons, I urge the council to support Intro to 322, and thank you for your time.
Thank you very much.
Clifford Hazen.
He waited for two hours, but I had to go back to his job as a teacher.
Thank you very much.
Eddie Mark?
Eddie Mark?